A vacant Peasedown St John pub that last called time two years ago will be converted into housing.
The boarded-up Prince of Wales pub on Dunkerton Hill | Image © Google 2021
No one wanted to reopen the Prince of Wales on Dunkerton Hill as a local so it was marketed with an asking price of £354,000.
New owner LPC Ltd says it wants to sustainably reuse the building which had five letting rooms to create three houses, each with solar powers, an air source heat pump and underfloor heating, and a large area of tarmac will be removed to improve drainage.
Previously owned by Star Pubs and Bars, the application says its sale shows the brewery chain thought it was not viable in the long term.
LPC said in its application: “The Prince of Wales public house has been a failing business for several years and closed permanently over two years ago.
“By reason of its rural location and lack of an immediate and identified trade base, particularly in competition with those pubs still trading in the village, it is not a valued community facility.
“The conversion process not only makes the efficient reuse of the existing built resource as a sustainable form of development but by adopting sustainable construction principles and greening the site etc it will have a positive effect, reducing potential car dependency and CO2 emissions thus substantially tipping the planning balance in favour of the grant of permission to provide much needed local housing.”
Dunkerton and Tunley Parish Council said the creation of a three-lane section to the A367 nearby was “without doubt a major contributory factor” in the pub no longer being viable.
Like Peasedown St John Parish Council, it supported the application but raised concerns about access onto the main road.
Two objectors said it was unacceptable to turn the “iconic” building into homes and claimed the sewers could not cope.
A pair of supporters said the site was not suitable for a pub and it was in desperate need of renovation.
Approving the application, Bath and North East Somerset Council said the proposals would bring the green belt building back into use and improve its appearance without affecting road safety.
Stephen Sumner, Local Democracy Reporter
